Sunday, 17 January 2010

Resident Evil 5 (PS3)

Having recently (as in 4 months ago) acquired a Sony PlayStation 3, one of the games I looked forward to was Resident Evil 5. I've been a huge Resident Evil fan since its conception, with the classic Resident Evil 2 being one of my favorite games, and have so far managed to play all the PlayStation Resident Evil title...numerous times (something I very rarely do).

Since the game is fairly old now and "hey, it's Resident Evil", I am merely going to list the good things and bad things about Capcom's latest Resident Evil title.

The Good:

Chris Redfield returns. Sure, he looks like 5 times bigger than before and now possesses super strength, but Chris Redfield is by definition the Resident Evil hero.

Co-op system, where you are assigned a partner, Sheva, is well thought-out (though not without bugs) and, more importantly, enables 2 human players to play on the same system. Brilliant!

Lots of fast-paced action with some familiar enemies returning. Resident Evil 5 is action-packed from beginning to start, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Great weapons for both protagonists (obviously, you can control Sheva in single player after beating the game once), and weapon upgrades are great. The Rocket Launcher still kicks some major zombie ass.

Numerous extras gives the game excellent replay value. These extra includes a revamped mercenaries mode (unfortunately not on par with Resident Evil 2's spectacular Mercenaries mode) and the ability to unlock infinite ammunition for your weapons.

The game looks gorgeous (typical of Resident Evil titles.) and the music is particularly fitting to the game (again, typical!).

The Bad:

AI Sheva will occasionally act extremely retarded and just stand there, waiting to be blasted apart, and can be extremely infuriating. In a game as punishing as Resident Evil, this is something Capcom should have done their best to avoid.

The game does not involve enough puzzles, which is unfortunate, as the perfect balance of action and puzzles is what made the first Resident Evil games so fantastic. I am aware that Capcom wants to make the Resident Evil titles strictly action games, but I still believe that this is a mistake as they are merely sacrificing the games' most unique features.

Some of the trophies are downright retarded. Seriously, treasure hunt? In a Resident Evil game? Which takes place in an obviously desolate part of Africa? No.

The game is easier than past titles.

Overall, Resident Evil 5 is a great game, and PlayStation 3 owners should definitely try it out. Capcom are working on another version (milking the cow, as always), Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, which will contain some extras (also available via DLC for those who already possess the game). You might as well wait for this version.

I hope Capcom realizes that they should go back to the series' roots with Resident Evil 6, and start focusing more on the horror part and the puzzles. Resident Evil 2, which had both of these (along with a terrific atmosphere!), still stands out as the best in the series, and unless Capcom churns out a title that draws on the same ideas, I fail to see another Resident Evil title being as good as RE2.

To convince them that I am right and they are wrong, here's a picture of Winnie the Pooh being an asshole: